This invention retlates to a chain door guard, such as those used to secure a door in its shut or latched condition and from the inside of a buidling or compartment. These door guards are characterized by a door plate fastened to the inside of the door adjacent to a chain plate fastened to the inside of the door casing. A safety chain is anchored to the chain plate and normally depends therefrom when the door is unlatched or in use, there being a slide bolt at the terminal end of the chain. The door plate has a slide, usually a key-hole slot into which the slide bolt is inserted and captured, in order to secure the door in a latched condition, where it is normally held by the usual door lock set and locked for securety. A feature of such chain door guards is the provision of an opening in the chain plate to hang the slide bolt and safety chain , so that they will not swing into and interfere with closing of the door. However, people do not appreciate or take advantage of this chain plate opening feature and permit the slide bolt and safety chain to swing loose from said plate. Consequently, people passing through the door opening constantly brush against the loose slide bolt and safety chain causing them to swing into the door opening during the time period when the door is being closed, usually slammed shut. As a result, the door and door casing are damaged, whether wooden or metal, and especially in hotel and motel establishments where the people are irresponsible and careless.
It is an object of this invention to secure the slide bolt and safety chain of a chain door guard, whereby the slide bolt and safety chain are precluded from swinging into the door opening when separated from the door plate and permitted to swing loose from the chain plate.
It is another object of this invention to inherently secure the depending slide bolt and safety chain to the door casing when released from the door plate, to prevent them from swinging into the door opening when brushed by people passing through the door opening.
It is still another object of this invention to advantageously employ a magnet to automatically secure the depending slide bolt and safety chain when they are released from the door plate. In practice, chain door guards are metallic, the inexpensive guards being made of iron or steel, and the more expensive guards being made of solid brass but with plated steel slide bolts and safety chains for strength. Accordingly, the ferrous slide bolt and safety chain are attracted to the magnet employed here to secure them in a natural depending position where they are drawn by gravity.
The foregoing and various other objects and features of this invention will be apparent and fully understood from the following detailed description of the typical preferred forms and applications thereof, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings.